Failure by Proxy

Vet-Traxx artist Failure by Proxy was selected as main support for the mainstream rock band Puddle of Mudd at Ace of Spades on January 26, 2019. Failure by Proxy was recently nominated for a 2019 Sacramento Area Music Award (Hard Rock Category), and was a natural choice for the show. When the big day arrived, the venue was packed from wall to wall with fans staking claim to their spots for the sold-out show. The Stoneberries warmed up the crowd with a nice, bluesy funk set that was an enjoyable, but more surprising,band choice, given the harder rock feel of the other bands in the night’s lineup.Following The Stoneberries, Zeroclient who is also a Sacramento Area Music Award nominee (Progressive Rock Category), delivered a captivating performance. As a photographer, I definitely liked Zeroclient’s light the best of the supporting acts.

hen Failure by Proxy hit the stage, they opened with Knock Me Down, which they wrote in February of 2018, and live debuted in June of 2018. I was equally excited by their music and disappointed by the venue’s lighting choices for their set. They were incredibly dimly lit, and with fog pumping out near Eric’s drums, I knew I was in for a challenging photographic set, as I was there to photograph them, specifically. Eric mesmerized with one of his masks and his drum skills, and Jeremy wowed the crowd with his vocals. Chuck always sounds good, and has a very natural and relaxed stage presence. I like photographing their new guitarist, Ant Man, and was challenged once again by one of Chris’s hats, which shadow his face as he graces his bass.

I loved that they ended their seven-song set with their powerful single, “Not Gonna Break”, which Jeremy said is their anthem for all who have ever been beaten down. I had a great vantage point, as I was on stage waiting to attempt an end-of-set shot, and listened to that whole last song as they overlooked the capacity crowd; it was an amazing sight to see (even through the dense fog)! According to Jeremy, “Not Gonna Break” encompassed everything in his life up to the time he wrote the lyrics, including jobs and relationships, and it is pretty much his way of saying, “You can’t break me!” It was a strong way to finish an Ace of Spades set, and was the perfect Sacramento welcome for Puddle of Mudd. If you missed them this time at Ace of Spades, make sure you catch them next time on March 6 with Buckcherry!

The Vet-Traxx Project is a local nonprofit who operates a recording studio for disabled veterans to track and record music as a form of therapy.



Failure by Proxy is:

Jeremy Friedlander (vocals) from Terra Ferno;

Eric “Spaz” Lewis (drums) from Terra Ferno;

Chuck Schubert (guitar) from Cash Cartell;

Chris Alosi (bass) from Long in the Tooth and the Dust & Diesel Band; and

Ant Man (guitar) from The Antman Project - Jennifer Black